It's late, about 10 pm. The phone rings, caller ID tells me it's a good friend, and I answer, "Hey! What's up?"
She is ecstatic, "Hey! I just donated $5.00 to Barack Obama!"
I said, "Good for you!" And the next thing I know, there are tears in my eyes.
It's not because I get overly emotional about my friend or Barack (although I could). It's because my friend does not have an extra dollar let alone five to spare ..... and she donated.
She is a single parent with a budget that doesn't have an extra dime left in it after being hit with the double whammy of food and gas price hikes.
We've talked (or rather, she talks, I rant) in depth about how badly this nation has been governed under Bush. She is well aware of my list of "Things in Need of Fixing" after these years of horror, and I honor her "drop in the bucket" donation because five dollars is her entire disposable income for July - and she willingly gave it to Barack Obama.
Five bucks for Barack to get our country back on track. Drop in the bucket? Not even a drop.
But for my friend? All the money she had to give.
Five bucks for her = a gallon of gas and a loaf of cheap bread.
Five bucks for her = a pair of shoes from the thrift store.
Five bucks for her = milk and eggs, if she's lucky.
Five bucks for her = a first time donation to any candidate, ever.
Five bucks for her = a measure of her commitment to our nation at a time when she really can't afford it, but felt the need to prove her support with more than her vote.
And then she said, "I know it's just five bucks....."
That's when I really choked up. So, when I could talk again, I told her, "It's not "just five bucks." And off I went into my usual rantage.
Her lone fiver is proof Obama has growing support. Every new donor he can add to his list is another nail in the lid for Republican hopes. Every new donor is another engaged citizen investing in our future.
Just five dollars? I know it's a whole lot more.